Students with an MPH in biostatistics develop skills to implement research studies of human health and disease, interpret quantitative data, and use statistical reasoning to address public health problems. This MPH program accommodates full and part-time students.

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Requirements

The Master of Public Health in Biostatistics consists of 43 credit hours of graduate work. In addition to required courses, the credit hour requirements include:

three to six elective credit hours

a six to nine credit hours capstone experience that includes an internship (three credits, 240 hours) and either

an MPH project (three credits) or

thesis (six credits)

A full-time student may complete our program in two years. Part-time students may take up to 4 years to complete the program. The majority of courses are offered in the late afternoon and evenings, which helps accommodate the working student. Within five years of entrance to the program, all program requirements must be met and the degree awarded. There is a recommended sequence for completing the MPH program that considers prerequisites and course scheduling.

Competencies

The Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Bostatistics is a professional, practice-based degree. As such, upon completion of the degree requirements, all students are expected to demonstrate their ability to:

Biostatistics Common Core Competencies

Describe the role biostatistics serves in the discipline of public health.

Internship/Capstone

The MPH Program expects students to obtain a significant practicum experience in population-based health prior to graduation. A practicum/internship experience involves hands-on experience working and interacting with public health professionals. All students are required to obtain a practicum experience as part of the MPH program, regardless of prior experience.

The 240 hour internship is designed to enable students to gain practical experience as professionals under conditions conducive to educational development. The internship is a time-limited, supervised period during which students apply biostatistical methods in a public health organization that works with epidemiologic and biostatistical studies. The internship provides students with the opportunity to integrate and apply knowledge and skills obtained in the MPH program.

In addition to the internship, all students must choose to complete an applied project (EPIB 786, 3 credits) or a research thesis (EPIB 799, 6 credits) as the culminating experience of the program. These experiences are student-led and require synthesis and integration of knowledge acquired in coursework, practicum, and other learning experiences and the application of theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. When designing the project/thesis students should review the MPH competencies for their program. Students must address each competency between the internship and project/thesis.

There are numerous opportunities to obtain a practicum experience. Examples of previous student practica placements for the MPH in Biostatistics include:

Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC)